Earlier this week, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz released rankings of the NBA’s Best Superstar Duos. Immediately, most NBA fans would think
about the Nuggets duo of Jokic and Murray as they are coming off a Championship run. Swartz however, has Jokic and Murray listed as his third best
duo, following the likes of Phoenix’s Booker and Durant and Milwaukee’s Antetokounmpo and Holiday. To round out the rest of the list, Lakers duo
of James Davis and lastly, the Dallas duo of Irving and Doncic. While all these pairs are deserving of being on this list, it is completely irrational to
not include the Boston Celtics pair of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as one of, if not the best NBA duo for a variety of different reasons.
Availability
There is a saying in sports that goes along the lines of “the best ability is availability.” While some may argue they would rather have a superstar play
half the season and be ready for the playoffs, Tatum and Brown are unique in their ability to stay on the floor throughout the entirety of the season.
In the 2022-23 season, Tatum played in 74 regular season games and all 20 of the C’s playoff games. Jaylen Brown played in 67 regular season games
and all 20 of the Boston Celtics games in the playoffs as well. They combine for the most games played compared to any other duo on the list.
With many of the other duos aging, it is hard for me to understand how someone would rather any other duo than the Boston Celtics’ beloved “Jays.”
To think about the fact they are entering their prime NBA years leaves more room for growth and optimism.
On the other side of things, one could say the opposite for many others on this list. Jrue Holiday is 33 years old, Lebron James is 38 years old,
Anthony Davis has an injury history and is coming up on his 31st birthday. Kevin Durant is turning 35 before the start of next season, and Irving is
getting up there at 31 years old as well. While I am not denying the talent of these guys, it is hard for me to choose them over the young, available, all-
NBA duo on the Boston Celtics on a list that is evaluating the best partnerships.
Ability to Win
Although being available is a pivotal part of being successful, it does not necessarily guarantee winning it itself. With availability comes responsibility
and players are still required to perform if they want to see their teams do well in the NBA. For Tatum and Brown, they led the Celtics to the second-
best record in the NBA this past season. They ended one game behind the Bucks for first place in the entire NBA.
Comparatively, the Dallas Mavericks were in a playoff spot when Kyrie Irving got traded to them in February. After playing 16 games alongside
Doncic, the Mavericks went 5-11 during that span and ended up missing the playoffs. How this duo who lost more than twice the amount of games
they won, could be included on the list of “best duos” is shocking to me.
Not only do Tatum and Brown perform in the regular season, but they have consistently made deep playoff runs. Since Tatum joined the league, the
Boston Celtics have gone to four Eastern Conference finals, more than any other duo on the list. Although they do not yet have a ring to prove it, there
is no denying Tatum and Brown’s ability to put their teams in positions to win.
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